Spoon



-July11,1939. J. E. MAYER 2,165,642

SPOON I Filed Oct. 14, 1937 Patented July 11, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SPOON Application October 14, 1937, Serial No. 168,848

9 Claims.

This invention relates to spoons and more particularly to a measuring spoon whereby definite quantities of suitable materials may be measured in substantially accurate amounts.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a measuring spoon whereby approximately exact proportions of materials ordinarily used in cooking and for other purposes may easily and conveniently be measured in a single measuring operation. Ordinary spoons differ materially-in size, and it is therefore difficult to determine the desired quantities to be used on account of the varying size and shape of the spoons.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a measuring spoon which may easily and quickly be adjusted to hold various amounts of material and which will be sufliciently accurate for ordinary kitchen use.

A further object is the provision of an adjustable measuring spoon which Will be of few parts, cheap to manufacture and which may be easily assembled and disassembled. It is essential that cooking utensils should be easily cleaned and should not be so constructed as to provide cracks or crevices between the various parts in which the materials used may accumulate and thereby cause the utensil to become unsanitary.

It is therefore another object of the present invention to provide an adjustable measuring spoon of'a minimum number of parts which may be easily disassembled and in which all portions of each part are easily accessible for cleaning.

A further object is the provision of an adjustable measuring spoon preferably made entirely of sheet metal, which may be stainless steel if desired, and in which a high degree of rigidity is obtained between the bowl of the spoon and the handle, and in which the parts may be secured together without the use of any auxiliary fastening means.

Further objects will be apparent from the specification and the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top plan View of a measuring spoon incorporating one embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view through the bowl of the spoon and taken on a line substantially corresponding to line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the spoon with the measuring element removed therefrom.

Fig. 5 is a. perspective view of the combined dam and measuring slide.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectionalview through the handle and taken on a line substantially corresponding toline 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the embodiment illustrated comprises a spoon having a body portion comprising a bowl I, and a handle 2. This body portion is preferably formed of sheet metal by means of stamping or in any other suitable manner, or of aplastic or other suitable-material, and the bowl portion'l is preferably'elongated as shown, and may be arcuate in cross section, preferably in the form of a segment of a cylinder.- The outer end of the bowl at 4 may be substantially spherical in curvature, and theupper marginal edges are curved downwardly at 5 to enable the measuring device to be removed from the spoon in a manner which will be described later. The rear wall of the bowl extends angularly upward and the handle 2 is provided with a marginal flange 6 which forms a continuation of the a marginal edges of the bowl. The upper portion of the angular rear wall I, where it joins the handle, is preferably arcuate in form as shown in Fig. l, whereby-the marginal flanges 6 form a continuation of the edges of the bowl to form a sub- 1" stantially rigid structure, that is, the flanges 6 overlap the end of the bowl somewhat so that a rigid continuation of the handle with the bowl results; i

The handle 2 is provided with an elongated slot 7 -8 extending toward the bowl and terminating in a transversely extending opening 9 whereby the slot as a whole is substantially T-shaped with the head of the T at the upper edge of the angular Wall and below the handle. By means of this construction and the continuation of the marginal flanges 6 with the peculiar construction of the bowl and rear wall thereof, the T-slot does not materially weaken the structure.

A measuring member H! is provided and com- The strap is provided adjacent its end with opi positely disposed notches providing a narrow portion M which is a sliding fit in the slot 8 and extends upwardly therethrough and terminates in a wider portion l5 which is turned forwardly and downwardly to provide a bearing against the upper side of the spoon handle. The portion I5 terminates in an upwardly extending thumb-engaging portion l6 whereby the device may easily be operated by the thumb of the hand grasping the spoon handle. The strap l3 may be provided with graduations as shown, conforming to various quantities of materials which are to be measured.

In use the handle of the spoon may be grasped in the hand with the thumb engaging the portion I6 and the measuring member may then be 7 moved by the thumb to a position to align a desired graduation with the upper edge of the transverse slot 9 as illustrated in Fig. 1, whereby any desired amount of material may be measured in a single measuring operation, as distinguished from the two or more operations frequently required in using the ordinary sets of measuring spoons of different sizes.

As shown in Fig. 2, the dam portion II extends slightly above the edges of the bowl I. This arrangement helps to prevent spilling of the contents of the spoon over the top of the dam into the space behind the latter, and the rearwardly extending flange I2 is useful for the same purpose.

As previously stated, it is very desirable that the elements be easily separated in order that they may be thoroughly cleaned. In order to remove the measuring element ID from the spoon, it is only necessary to push the element forward until the dam H passes beyond the end of the spoon. The downward curvature of the front marginal edges of the bowl enables the dam to move forwardly over the end of the spoon while substantially in engagement transversely across the bowl. This shape of the end of the bowl not only enables the easy removal of the measuring element, but also retains substantial contact of the dam with the inner surface of the bowl so that substantially all of the material therein may be pushed completely from. the bowl when de sired.

An arrow H, or other suitable indicia, may be stamped on the handle to direct the attention to the marginal edge of the transverse slot 9 with which the graduations on the measuring portion are to be aligned.

The measuring portion I0 is preferably formed of sheet metal or other suitable resilient material so that the handle 2 is resiliently and slidably clamped between the strap 13 and the thumb engaging element It. The slightly greater depth of the dam portion H over that of the spoon bowl I maintains close contact between the dam and the bowl. By this means the dam will be retained by friction in any position in which it is placed, but may be easily moved by pressure of the thumb piece.

It will be apparent from the above description that the spoon may be manufactured very inexpensively and may comprise only two elements, which can be quickly and easily assembled or diassembled.

Modifications may be made by those skilled in the art, and it is therefore desired that the invention be limited only by the prior art and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described this invention, what is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A two-piece sheet metal spoon having a bowl of substantially cylindrical segment cross sectional contour and a substantially flat handle integral therewith, said handle having an elongated longitudinal slot therein terminating in a T head in said bowl adjacent said handle, and a sheet metal dam in said bowl and having an elongated portion extending through the head of said slot and below said handle and terminating in a thumb engaging portion extending through said slot and accessible above said handle to move said dam.

2. A spoon having a bowl in the form of a cylindrical segment and a handle forming an extension thereof, said handle having an elongated slot therein terminating in a transverse slot in the rear wall of said bowl and a measuring member comprising a dam in said bowl and substantially conforming to the inner contour there-- of and having a strap portion extending through said transverse slot and bearing on the under side of said handle, said strap having a portion extending through said slot to provide a thumb-engaging means. resiliently engaging the upper surface of said handle, the front end of said bowl being of substantially spherical curvature to maintain said dam in contact with said bowl in all measuring positions.

3. A spoon having a bowl in the form of a cylindrical segment and a handle forming an extension thereof, said handle having an elongated slot therein terminating in a transverse slot in the rear wall of said bowl and a measuring member comprising a dam in said bowl and substantially conforming to the inner contour thereof and having a strap portion extending through said transverse slot and bearing on the under side of said handle, said strap having its free end extending through said slot and formed to provide a thumb-engaging means resiliently engaging the upper surface of said handle, the front end of said bowl being of substantially spherical curvature, the front marginal edges of said bowl being curved downwardly to permit said measuring member to be freely removed and replaced by longitudinal movement.

4. A two-piece sheet metal measuring spoon comprising a body portion having a bowl and a handle, and an adjustable member comprising a dam portion and an elongated rearward extension, said extension having portions formed and disposed to lie on opposite sides of said handle and to frictionally engage opposite surfaces of the same therebetween and to be guided by said handle during adjustment of said dam in said bowl.

5. A two-piece sheet metal measuring spoon comprising a bowl and a handle, said handle having a longitudinal slot terminating in a transverse slot adjacent said bowl, and an adjustable member having a dam portion in said bowl, and a portion extending from said clam through both slots for frictionally engaging both sides of said handle for maintaining said dam in slidable assembled relation in said spoon, and means in said longitudinal slot for maintaining proper alignment of said dam with respect to said bowl and handle.

6. A measuring spoon comprising an elongated trough-like bowl and a substantially flat slotted handle forming a continuation of said bowl from the upper edge of the rear wall thereof, an adjustable 'dam in said bowl and substantially conforming to the transverse inner contour thereof, a rearwardly extending resilient arm on said dam and extending through an opening in the rear wall of said bowl and in intimate contact with the under side of said handle, and damoperating means on said arm and cooperating with'said slot and the upper surface of said handle to maintain the dam in snug frictional engagement with said'bowl.

'7. A sheet metal measuring spoon comprising a bowl and a substantially flat handle substantially in alignment with the upper edges of said bowl and having a slot terminating adjacent said bowl, a sheet metal dam in said bowl and having its upper edge slightly above the under surface of said handle, a resilient arm forming a continuation from the upper edge of said dam and extending through an opening through said bowl immediately below said handle and adjacent the end of said slot, the opposite end of said arm extending through said slot and engaging the upper surface of said handle whereby said dam is pressed against said bowl by the resilience of said arm.

8. A measuring spoon comprising a one-piece sheet metal bowl and handle, said handle having an elongated longitudinal slot terminating in a transverse slot in the rear wall of said bowl, a one-piece measuring member comprising a dam conforming to the transverse contour of said bowl and having a strap-like portion extending through said transverse slot and. substantially closing said longitudinal slot by frictional engagement with the bottom surface of said handle, said strap having a portion extending gaging the upper surface of said handle whereby through said longitudinal slot and frictionally ensaid measuring member is retained by friction and may readily be removed by longitudinal movement.

9. A sheet metal measuring spoon comprising a one-piece bowl and handle member, a material length of said handle adjacent said bowl being substantially fiat and substantially in alignment with the top edge of said bowl, said flat portion having an elongated slot therein terminating in a transverse slot in the rear wall of said bowl immediately below said flat handle, a one-piece measuring member comprising a dam portion conforming to the transverse contour of said bowl and an elongated strap portion extending from the top of said dam rearwardly through said transverse slot and in snug engagement with the bottom of said handle on opposite sides of said elongated slot, the end of said strap extending upwardly through said elongated slot and formed to frictionally engage the upper surface of said handle whereby said elements are resiliently retained in assembled relation in any adjusted position of the dam and whereby said elements may be assembled and disassembled solely by telescopic relative movement.

JOSEPH E. MAYER. 

